The fifteenth SUNday after pentecost
Sunday, September 1, at 10:00 am
The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
Prelude: “Aria” Peeters
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 372: “Praise to the living God”
1. Praise to the living God!
All praisèd be his Name
who was, and is, and is to be
for ay the same.
The one eternal God
ere aught that now appears:
the first, the last, beyond all thought
his timeless years!
2. Formless, all lovely forms
declare his loveliness;
holy, no holiness of earth
can his express.
Lo, he is Lord of all.
Creation speaks his praise,
and everywhere above, below,
his will obeys.
3. His Spirit floweth free,
high surging where it will:
in prophet’s word he spoke of old;
he speaketh still.
Established is his law,
and changeless it shall stand,
deep writ upon the human heart,
on sea, on land.
4. Eternal life hath he
implanted in the soul;
his love shall be our strength and stay
while ages roll.
Praise to the living God!
All praisèd be his Name
who was, and is, and is to be,
for ay the same.
Opening Acclamation
Priest ✠ Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gloria in Excelsis Hymnal 1982, S-280
The Collect of the Day
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Let us pray.
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Lesson: Song of Solomon 2:8-13
The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10
1 My heart is stirring with a noble song;
let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; *
my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.
2 You are the fairest of men; *
grace flows from your lips,
because God has blessed you for ever.
7 Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, *
a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom;
you love righteousness and hate iniquity.
8 Therefore God, your God, has anointed you *
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
9 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, *
and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad.
10 Kings' daughters stand among the ladies of the court; *
on your right hand is the queen,
adorned with the gold of Ophir.
Second Lesson: James 1:17-27
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 574: “Before thy throne, O God, we kneel”
1. Before thy throne, O God, we kneel:
give us a conscience quick to feel,
a ready mind to understand
the meaning of thy chastening hand;
whate’er the pain and shame may be,
bring us, O Father, nearer thee.
2. Search out our hearts and make us true;
help us to give to all their due.
From love of pleasure, lust of gold,
from sins which make the heart grow cold,
wean us and train us with thy rod;
teach us to know our faults, O God.
3. For sins of heedless word and deed,
for pride ambitious to succeed,
for crafty trade and subtle snare
to catch the simple unaware,
for lives bereft of purpose high,
forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.
4. Let the fierce fires which burn and try,
our inmost spirits purify:
consume the ill; purge out the shame;
O God, be with us in the flame;
a new-born people may we rise,
more pure, more true, more nobly wise.
Alleluia
The choir sings the Alleluias, then all repeat them.
The Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
The Nicene Creed
The Prayers of the People
The leader and people pray responsively
I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for our Bishops; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church.
Silence
I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Pray for justice and peace.
Silence
I ask your prayers for all victims of violence, and for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. Pray for those in any need or trouble.
Silence
I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him.
Silence
I ask your prayers for the departed. Pray for those who have died.
Silence
I ask your prayers for those on our parish prayer list, and for those we now name:
Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.
We pray for our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, in our companion diocese of Guatemala.
Silence
Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.
Silence
The Celebrant concludes
Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask: Help us to ask only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession of Sin
Celebrant Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Celebrant and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Celebrant pronounces an absolution. The people stand.
The Peace
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The ministers and the people greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Welcome & Announcements
The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture, and the people sit.
The Holy Communion
The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.
To give an offering, choose one of the following:
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
During the Offertory an anthem is sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
The Offering is brought forward.
Hymn 707: “Take my life, and let it be”
1. Take my life, and let it be consecrated,
Lord, to thee; take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
2. Take my voice, and let me sing
always only, for my King;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer A
The people stand and the priest sings
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Priest Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
The priest continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Sanctus et Benedictus qui venit Hymnal 1982, S-130
The priest continues
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.
He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Priest and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The priest continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
The Fraction
The priest breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Priest The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Hymn 423: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise”
1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.
2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
3. To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but nought changeth thee.
4. Thou reignest in glory, thou rulest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
After Communion, the priest says
Let us pray.
Priest and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome & Announcements
The Blessing & Dismissal
The Celebrant blesses the people and dismisses them.
The People respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “Toccata on ‘Leoni’” Young
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Organist: Susan Johnson
Eucharistic Minister: John Black
Thurifer: J.T. Massey
Crucifer: Will Boyd
Lector: Widgette Kelly
Ushers: Andy Hutchison, John Fraser
Altar: Rachel Morse, Carol Fox
Livestream: Emery Kohut
Counters: Wendy Brumbaugh, Kay Johnson
Flowers: Kay Johnson
Online giving is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.
Weekday Worship
Mass for the feast of Paul Jones (Bishop, d. 1941) will be held this week on Wednesday, September 4, at noon in the Chapel.
Daughters of the King
Those women interested in a new chapter of this order being initiated at St. Paul’s will be gathering on Thursday, September 5 at 6:00pm in the conference room. There are several things to discuss and to put in place even before we begin our formation sessions early next year. **For those attending, please be sure to bring your calendars.** These are exciting first steps. Questions for anyone else interested and not yet identified? Feel free to contact Leigh DeTato.
Women’s Ministry Event: September 20
The Women’s Ministry group is getting back together this Fall for fun and fellowship. We have several “outings” as well as “in-house” activities coming up, so stay alert for announcements!
One of our first fellowship gatherings will be an evening out at Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery in Perkasie. This is an informal, come as you are event. Come when you can, leave when you must. Unwind after a long week, share some stories and laughs, and just spend some time with friends. All are welcome!
Friday September 20th, 6p - 9p. Bring snacks and treats to share. They are open to bringing your own food but also have a food truck there. Food truck that evening is the Scratch Kitchen Food Truck.
Any questions, feel free to talk with anyone on the women’s ministry team, including Leigh DeTato or Jen Prater.
Road Closure Next Sunday, September 8
Next Sunday the intersection of Pine Street and East Oakland Avenue will be closed due to the annual Bike Race. This will prevent parking or dropping off in front of the church. Parking will still be available in our main lot—you’ll need to come from Ashland in order to access it. There is plenty of street parking on Ashland or Oakland (east of the church). Parking is also available at the Library (150 S. Pine St.—just 2 blocks away).
Doylestown Bike Race
The annual Doylestown Bike Race will be held on Sunday, September 8. As we have done in the past, St. Paul’s will support the event by providing bottled water and packaged snacks. We will have a table on the sidewalk at the corner of Oakland & Pine starting after the 10:00am service. Any questions, please contact Mary Lou Parry. A huge thank you in advance!
Social Justice Committee Meeting
Our next meeting is at 7:30 PM on September 10th, the usual 2nd Tuesday of every month. Join us on Zoom via the link in the Weekly E-Notes. All are welcome!
Community Meal
Once again, the team hit it out of the park at last Sunday’s Community Meal. The generosity of the food donations, hygiene products, gift cards, and the time for set up, greeting and clean up made it possible to serve 17 guests. With the partnership we have with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, we are able to make the guests feel welcome and comfortable. Thank you again.
Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Wrapping Presence, a new Outreach project for 2024
Wrapping Presence is an organization that was founded locally almost 30 years ago. Its mission is to return a degree of dignity to residents in nursing facilities who are otherwise no longer able to do for others during the Christmas season. Here is a list of items being collected for Wrapping Presence. You can find information about the ways to get involved here. Please contact Maureen McGraw with any questions.
Saint Paul’s Market is OPEN
featuring bounty from parishioners’ gardens
Proceeds benefit the Little Free Pantry
Gardeners: Bring in your extras!
Buyers: Please make a donation & remember to bring your own bag.
Spiritual Prayer Practices will resume with three Fall sessions.
Come and explore some ancient and some not-so ancient ways of opening and deepening your prayer life. You will be among friends in an informal environment. Meet once a month – as you wish and can – for about an hour. The first Fall meeting is planned for Saturday, September 14 at 10:00 in Paxson Hall. Questions? Contact Leigh DeTato.
Little Free Pantry
Thank you to everyone for the generous donations to the Little Free Pantry...the food and monetary donations are greatly appreciated. If you are considering a donation, we are always in need of snack bars, fruit cups, single serving tuna or chicken salad, shelf stable milk, bottled water...a guideline is…"anything that can be eaten on a bench.” Thank you again for your help and support. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Returns this year!
We continue to accept donations of
gently used Christmas decorations & ornaments.
Please mark your donations ‘Attic’ and drop them off to the church office or leave them in the coat room.
Thank You!
Seeking Flower Guild Members:
Do you admire the lovely flower memorial arrangements each Sunday in church? The Flower Guild is responsible for these memorials and we are always open to having new members join our guild.
If you wondered what is involved in this ministry: no experience required, only a desire to create, training available upon request! What is created: One large arrangement for the church and one small arrangement for the Mary shrine.
When is completed: Saturday morning or if needed Friday, keep in mind the flowers need to look fresh for Sunday morning! Schedule: Usually you would be scheduled appx. once every other month - so in total 6 to 8 times a year.
How this is accomplished: Purchase and/or gather the flowers, twigs, seed pods etc. that you wish to include in the arrangement and create the arrangement in the flower guild room, to the left of the altar. You are reimbursed for your purchase. If you feel you are up for this wonderful ministry, please contact: Lisa Farina.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Today’s flowers are given by Nancy Hunter to the glory of God, celebrating the sixth anniversary of Adam and Ryan Hunter, and in loving memory of Robert W. Maier in honor of his birthday. Arranged by Kay Johnson
